Washington wine's best attempt at creating an identity has been to broadcast a spiritual kinship with Bordeaux. That includes ample attempts to draw parallels between the latitude of the two growing areas - though in truth, the state lies more in line with the Loire than Pomerol - as its northerly autumn light and evening chill seem to yield Cabernet (and Merlot, and Cab Franc) that manage both size and finesse.

As years go, aside from a diminished crop size, there was little to complain about in 2008 - more buoyant fruit and lots of freshness. Most of our wines landed north of 14 percent alcohol, but they didn't taste particularly outsize.

This has been Washington's potential in recent years: a mix of weight and grace.

Underscore "potential." In the years after Washington finally achieved a perfect 100-point score (see sfg.ly/hN78ew), the wines became bigger, oakier and sweeter - built for immediate impact.

That has largely subsided. Washington's potential (that word again) appears to be right back on course.

For this latest panel of nearly 40 wines, I was joined by Larry Stone, master sommelier and former wine director of Rubicon, who now runs Evening Land Vineyards; and by Joshua Haberman, wine director of Harris' Restaurant in San Francisco, whose list pays regular homage to the Northwest. Stone, too, is a Washington loyalist, enough that he scouted to buy vineyard land on Red Mountain.

Our top choices were dominated by some of Washington's most esteemed winemakers: Bob Betz of Betz Family, Chris Camarda of Andrew Will, Chris Figgins of Leonetti, Jean-Francois Pellet of Pepper Bridge, Ben Smith of Cadence. This isn't to say there are not great emerging talents out of Washington, but how reassuring to see that when you combine the state's strengths in winemaking, vineyards and grapes, the quality is resilient.

That's especially so because the market for expensive, age-worthy Cabernet is ever more finite - as many a Napan will whisper. While our top bottles from Washington were expensive, they rarely exceeded $70. In that sense, Washington Cabernet seems right-sized, with great options at $15 (though below that, quality has grown grimmer) to drink now, and outstanding bottles at $40 that will reward a half decade in the cellar.

Still, the real potential in Washington seems to be in the harnessing of the other five Bordeaux red grapes. Cadence and Andrew Will, especially, have tapped the full potential of blending, while the Buty Merlot-Cabernet Franc defends the honor of two grapes that have been forced to the back bench.

These are serious, complex wines. Washington may still be struggling to fine-tune that identity (at least one new appellation, Snipes Mountain, has appeared on bottles in advance of any particularly well-defined reputation), but it is doing what it does best.

Its recovery from the excess of success has been joyously quick.

2008 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard Yakima Valley Red Wine($55): Chris Camarda's talents are on display once again with this younger-vine site. The Two Blondes signature is unmistakable: sanguine and pimenton-edged, rounded out with sappy cherry fruit, blueberry, leather and bark. Savory in a Bordelais way, and deliciously approachable. His Champoux vineyard-based Sorella ($72) is meatier and herbal, its fruit dense and cellar-worthy.

2009 Buty Columbia Valley Merlot-Cabernet Franc ($40): Caleb and Nina Foster give both these varieties a great name, harnessing fruit primarily from the Conner Lee vineyard along the Wahluke Slope, where Merlot thrives. At about two-thirds Merlot, it brims with fragrant berry and graphite, plus paprika and fennel around the edges. Seamless and heady.

2008 Milbrandt Vineyards Traditions Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($15): The Milbrandt family controls a big swath of Washington vineyard land, and its own label remains a winner for affordable Cab. An oak-driven style that's plush and soft-edged, full of toast, huckleberry and charred-leaf notes.

2008 DeLille Cellars D2 Columbia Valley Red Wine ($36): Woodinville-based DeLille is popular for its polished style, and the Merlot-dominant D2 is a compilation of the many sites (Red Willow, Boushey, Grand Ciel, etc.) used in wines at twice the price. We're siding with the more affordable pick: lots of burnt bark and leather, with pretty tea-leaf highlights, green olive, fresh blackberry and mace.

2008 Gramercy Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($45): Master Sommelier Greg Harrington may have the Rhone on his brain, but his sole Cabernet is as deep and masterful as his Syrah. A dose of fancy oak in the mix adds polish to high-toned blue fruit and a bright mineral accent. Racy and juicy, with refined tannins that give it aging power.

2008 Januik Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($30): Longtime Washington star Mike Januik continues an excellent run with this mix of top sites - Champoux, Klipsun and so on. Alluring and graphite-edged, with tea, clove, black olive and a pretty mix of tangy and ripe cherry fruit. His single-vineyard Ciel du Cheval ($40) will similarly be a standout after a couple of years cellaring.

2008 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($55): Winemaker Jean-Francois Pellet must have a mind-meld going on with Walla Walla, because his efforts with Pepper Bridge are so consistently good. Here's how Washington Cab stands up for itself in the global fray: Remarkably floral and mineral-driven, with stylish wood (48 percent new oak) and black tea, coffee and fresh cherry and plum fruit. Beautifully stitched with an impressive chock of tannin that will reward five years aging or more.

2008 Betz Family Pere de Famille Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($60): The recent news that Bob Betz is selling his label (see sfg.ly/ffQry3) is tempered by the Master of Wine's willingness to make wine for the next five years - and the exquisite quality of his 2008 Pere. Dense, dark and subtle. Filled with graphite and spice, damp earth, a savory celery-seed quality and lots of layered fruit. A profound tannic end zone isn't intrusive, just chewy and echoed by lively floral accents. Built to last a good 15 years. The 2008 Clos de Betz ($48) shows equal mastery in a Merlot-dominant package.